Yes, you read it correctly, Dreamweaver CS3 is rewriting my code. I'll go to save a file and upload it to my web site, only to get strange ColdFusion errors about unbalanced tags. I finally determined that if I close and reopen the file, I'll see the changes.
Fix the file, save, and re-upload, and the errors reappear. Needless to say, this is extremely frustrating, as you can never tell when deploying a set of changes to a site will work or not.
I've included a YouTube video after the break that shows the entire process.
As I said in the video, not closing the list tag can be considered bad practice, but still, why is Dreamweaver rearranging the code in the first place? All "rewriting" options are off in Preferences, so why alter code? And why alter code being saved to disk?
Unfortunately, I'm supporting one site that was started back in the days of CF4.5, and it's chock full of little non-standard inconsistencies like the above missing /LI tag, or non-closing /P tags. And it's gotten to the point where I'm afraid to make ANY changes whatsoever.
Has anyone else even heard of such a thing?
Hello,
I'm the Quality Manager for Adobe Dreamweaver. Sorry to see you're encountering a problem. Could you please email me? I'd like to the file you're working on so we can investigate this further.
thanks,
Sharon Selden
Adobe Dreamweaver QE Manager
Posted by: Sharon Selden | March 03, 2008 at 12:04 PM
I remember seeing issues like this when I was managing ASP code in Dreamweaver MX. It was the most annoying thing ever, and certain files I had actually completely abandoned for Notepad.exe.
I've since moved on to CFEclipse.
Posted by: Ken Sykora | March 04, 2008 at 01:13 PM
This consistently happens with my code as well. The trigger seems to be the missing end tag of the HTML element. For example, in my code the problem occurs if I do not provide an end tag for the element. In your code, you did not provide an end tag for the element. When you add the proper end tag, this bug goes away.
Posted by: Ken Johnson | March 21, 2008 at 11:24 AM
I'm assuming that you've checked you're preferences under "Code Rewriting" to make sure that you have them set appropriately.
Posted by: Luis Matthews | April 15, 2008 at 03:19 PM
Luis, Code Rewriting was off. I've also been in communication with Adobe, and given them the problem files to test. They knew about the problem, but needed an actual test case.
Posted by: Michael Long | April 15, 2008 at 04:15 PM
Wow!! Wow!! I just upgraded to Dreamweaver CS3 from Dreamweaver 8. I uploaded some changes to a highly used Calendar file and previewed it. Bombs away!! With in seconds or maybe a minute the phone started ringing! I had to go to the test server and get our backup and FTP it over. Minus the basic change I made. I've been running some tests and I'm finding that Dreamweaver is flip flopping a couple of and ending tags around in my code and therefore causing a ending tag error in the page. This is a Major Problem for me (and who ever else this might be happening to) if there is not a setting somewhere that can be changed to keep dreamweaver from taking my code into it's own hands upon saving anything. What the F?
Of course I uninstalled my Dreamweaver 8 install. Of course. Dummy.
Anything?
Posted by: Harrison | May 16, 2008 at 12:35 PM
No resolution at this time. I do have Adobe's attention. I've sent files. I'm pointed them to this page. They can replicate the error with the file I sent them. They are going to look into this further and get back to me. Wow. I just can't believe there aren't a Gazillion posts from at least Mac users about this. I can't find but a few. This is the best thread that I've found. The video is perfect. Thanks for that as it was helpful in my communication with Adobe. I'll let you know what I find out from Adobe. I think they all just want to get home for the weekend so I don't expect to hear back for a couple of days.
Posted by: Harrison | May 16, 2008 at 05:06 PM
Yes, I have this same exact problem with not closing the OPTION tag between a CFLOOP & CFOUTPUT. It's really annoying but the quick fix seems to be closing all tags.
Posted by: James | June 10, 2008 at 09:22 AM
I have a similar problem. With some pages, when I open them, Dreamweaver move some tags! The file is save correctly, but it's modified the next time I open it.
Like:
Become:
Of course, it throw a CF error...
Posted by: Daniel | August 28, 2008 at 08:56 AM
I am also having this issue...Has anyone heard back from Adobe about this problem?
Posted by: Chuck | November 05, 2008 at 10:56 PM
I am also having this issue...Has anyone heard back from Adobe about this problem?
Posted by: Chuck | November 05, 2008 at 10:57 PM
Also has i. Going back to Dreamweaver 8...
Posted by: Alex | December 03, 2008 at 06:41 AM
Hi Harrison,
Do you have any other information from Adobe? I'm doing some research to find out any resolutions any one else has found but haven't found anything as promising as your post.
Posted by: Sam | December 11, 2008 at 08:32 AM
I'm having this problem as well. It is changing my wordpress php, breaking the templates. i am about ready to switch away from DW.
Posted by: A2Annie | January 14, 2009 at 01:25 PM
I'm having this problem as well. It is changing my wordpress php, breaking the templates. i am about ready to switch away from DW.
Posted by: A2Annie | January 14, 2009 at 01:25 PM
Add me to the list. I have a similar problem. Though I was having a memory problem. Started using Aptana to get away from the problem. Thank god for alternatives. I would like to continue to use DW, but this bug is a deal breaker. Let's hope we find a solution.
Posted by: Robert | March 13, 2009 at 12:04 AM
Well. I'm still at a loss. I'm sorry to say. I decided to continue to use DW 8 and forget using a nice new DW CS3. Now... about ten months later and for various reasons upgraded to CS4. I had high hopes this problem would not persist in CS4 but low and behold. Same thing. And guess what? I haven't been able to find any worthy posts to address from anybody. I find it funny that in my code rewrite preferences it appears I choose to strictly prohibit rewrite code in files of type cfm etc... That does nothing. Helloooooo Adobe!!!!!!! I like DW!! I write Coldfusion!!! DW has a lot of helpful and productive tools with it. I want to write my own code!! I don't need your help!!!! Thank you but I really don't!!!!!
H
Posted by: Harrison | March 31, 2009 at 03:26 PM
Talked to Adobe about the problem. I pointed her to the video on this blog. She looked at the video and could not reproduce the problem. She thinks that the problem may have to do with DW rewrite and cfloop tag. I haven't had time to double check the problem and her notes. I do have a case number and I am willing to contact her again with additional info. Here are her notes from an email from her:
***Notes to Customer***03/30/200922:28:18
ISSUE Dreamweaver CS3 is rewriting the source code on the web page.
RESOLUTION Contact a ColdFusion Developer to verify the ColdFusion tags that you used on your web page, to make sure that the codes are correctly closed. For more information, here's a live documentation about using the cfloop in Coldfusion: cfloophttp://livedocs.adobe.com/coldfusion/6.1/htmldocs/tags-p77.htm
For more information about the Code Rewriting functionality in Dreamweaver, please look at the live documentation link below. Set the code rewriting preferences http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Dreamweaver/9.0/WSc78c5058ca073340dc da9110b1f693f21-7bda.html
***Notes to Customer***03/30/200917:28:52
Posted by: Robert | April 06, 2009 at 12:17 PM
I had a similar problem to this with a JSP file. I went into DW CS3 prefs and poked around to find that the little checkbox that says "do not rewrite files with this type" is greyed out (that means turned off. that means that DW will IGNORE THAT BOX).
I have turned on the "code rewrite" and the box with the extensions became active (turned on) and i added every file type i work with to the box. Now to see if this changes things and makes the errors stop..
Posted by: Russ | April 21, 2009 at 03:39 PM
This a MAC only issue, hope that helps.
Posted by: codehound | April 23, 2009 at 11:51 AM
I've been suffering from this for just over a year now, since I moved from PC to Mac. Both CS3 and CS4 versions exhibit the same behavior.
And, CS4 seems to be *worse*. With the same prefs set up in the "code rewriting" area, CS4 will lovingly throw in a tag where it thinks I need it. At least CS3 doesn't do that (I just tested to be sure).
CS3 (not sure about CS4 yet) also had this very annoying habit of reversing closing tags on nested bits - like taking and vomiting back up . Or switching a final with the following tag.
I found that a big cause of this is unclosed tags... I've gone through most of my code to replace single s with a pair of s, and that seems to appease DW for the most part.
I had contacted Adobe back in the day about this, and got absolutely nowhere.
Posted by: Scott | May 29, 2009 at 08:05 AM
Urgh, comments don't like to accept tags. Bit on reversing closed tags was talking about closing cfcase/cfswitch tags, cfmailpart/cfmail tags being reversed.
The unclosed tags was referencing p tags without closing /p - replaced with a pair of br tags.
Posted by: Scott | May 29, 2009 at 08:08 AM
I am having this problem on CS4 as well. I am writing a ColdFusion cfloop and intentionally have an unmatched tag within it. I noticed that every time I open the file in Dreamweaver CS4, it adds a "" in random places. If I open the same file in notepad, the ""s are not there. All of the code rewrite options are unchecked. Is there still no fix by Adobe for this?
Posted by: Carlo | January 26, 2010 at 04:39 PM
CS4 DW - Build 10.0 Build 4117
I am having the same problem I had a /span tag inside two other span tags like so
I removed the close tag inside the nest saved it and sometimes the same thing comes back sometimes not!
I have had to revert it back multiple times... this is the only issue i have ever had in CS4
Posted by: jason | February 27, 2010 at 04:26 AM
UPDATE:
Our team talked to an Adobe Coldfusion support member about this issue who forwarded the problem to a Dreamweaver support member. They told us that they are able to replicate the bug, but will not fix it unless someone with Adobe's Platinum Support complains about this. Which to me is absolutely ridiculous because I believe this is a pretty serious bug and the software is not behaving the way it is supposed to. They recommended we use Coldfusion Builder Beta which I am having other problems with.
Posted by: Carlo | March 10, 2010 at 12:10 PM